TRTSS21: Ranma's Zone of Twilight!
by ocramed
Summary: Submitted to your approval: one martial arts adventurer Ranma Saotome. Take a journey with him, as he steps into...the Twilight Zone. A Ranma x Twilight Zone crossover vignette limited series a part of the TRT/SMST saga. DONE.
1. Chapter 1

**TRTSS 21: Ranma's Zone of Twilight! – By DS Wynne**

**Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST and the Twilight Zone belong to their respective owners.**

**Note: This is a multi-genre.**

**Author's Note: Sometimes, I get ideas that I want to put down on "paper", but end up not fleshing out. So, this story is just a series of vignettes (marked A-Z, so it's a limited series) based upon the "Twilight Zone" television series. As always, C&C are welcomed.**

**Part 1**

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**A. "Where is Everybody?"**

_Submitted to your approval: __The place is here, the time is now, and the journey into the shadows that we're about to watch, could be__ our __journey…_

Ranma Saotome woke up in the middle of his bed with a splitting headache.

"Aw, man," Ranma said to himself, as he rubbed his forehead. "What the hell did I drink last night…?"

Ranma looks around to see that he was in a nondescript room. A generic painting could be seen on the far wall. On his right was yet another generic painting, although it was next against a dresser and a mirror.

"Where the hell I am?" Ranma asked himself, as he decides to inspect his person. He was wearing a standard US Air Force flight suit and he had his boots on.

"Weird," Ranma replied. "I wonder why I'm in this uniform?"

Ranma hops out of bed, and looks around to see if there was anyone else in the building…

He found none.

Ranma checked the house. It appeared to be a two-floor, three-bedroom home that was straight out of suburbia. Instinctively, he checked to see if there was a phone of some kind.

There was none.

Slightly concerned now, Ranma checked the radio and the television set, and found nothing but static.

And that was when Ranma REALLY became concerned.

Ranma attempted to reach into his personal pocket space, and found nothing.

"Screw this," Ranma said, as he steps outside of the house, and discovered something:

There was nothing.

Sure, Ranma could hear the sound of nature, but no people.

"Aw, man," Ranma said, as he looked up and down the street. The street was lined with suburban homes, but there were no people…not a one.

"Where's everybody?" Ranma yelled aloud.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Lorien the First and the Moon Princess watched Ranma, as he experienced an alternate reality in his mind, while encased in an energy cocoon. The Moon Princess turns towards her companions.

"Is this really necessary?" Usagi asked. "I don't know why Ranma even agreed to this…test."

"If your husband is to make the transition to the status of an Ascended being, he has to be able to deal with loneliness," said the enigmatic being. "One day, Ranma Saotome will have to give up everything, including company."

"I don't like that," the Moon Princess replied. "I WANT to be with him."

"And you will, in time," Lorien said. "But you of all people know what's it means to journey alone."

"My journey was unintentional."

"But necessary," Lorien said, as he turns his full attention back towards Ranma. "And so will Ranma's…"

Usagi nods her head. She knew that the Lords of Chaos and the Lords of Order did not like her relationship with Ranma, in a classic Romeo and Juliet kind of way. Inwardly, she would have to abide by the will of Fate, although she just might bend the rules just a bit…

**B. "One for the Angels"**

_Street scene: Summer…the present. Man on a sidewalk named Lew Bookman, age sixtyish. Occupation: Pitchman. Lew Bookman, a fixture of the summer, a rather minor component to a hot July; a nondescript, commonplace little man whose life is a treadmill built out of sidewalks. In just a moment, Lew Bookman will have to concern himself with survival, because as of three o'clock this hot July afternoon he'll be stalked by Mr. Death._

"You have no place here, Lord of Chaos," said Mr. Death as he looms forward. "His name was on the Death Note."

"And you can 'suck it'," Ranma replied, as he interceded on the salary man's behalf. "What happened was an accident."

Light Yagami, the keeper of the Death Note, was in a quandary. He had learned that Bookman had accidentally killed a child when he had been stationed in Japan shortly after the war. A neighbor of his had spotted the killer of his son, and sought Light to avenge the death. Light, after careful research, had found Lew Bookman's name, and proceeded to exact divine justice.

However, there was Ranma, who just happened to be an old friend of Bookman's…

"What is your name?" Light said, as he brings up the Death Note.

"Ah, you want MY name?" Ranma sneered.

"Yes."

"Ranma Saotome."

Light quickly writes down Ranma's name.

"Since you are impeding justice, you shall bear the consequences," Light said.

Bookman turns towards his old friend.

"I'm sorry for getting you into this," Bookman said.

"No need to thank me," Ranma said.

"Now, you shall die, for your name is in the Death Note-!" Mr. Death said, before he sees another entity that is…Death. This Death was of the Endless, and was on a higher power than Mr. Death.

"Sorry," said the pale, Goth chick. "Can't let you do that, Ryuk."

"But his name is on the Death Note!"

"And Ranma Saotome has already cheated death," Death said wistfully.

"Ugh!" said Mr. Death.

"What is it, Ryuk?" Light said.

"Death slept with HIM!" Mr. Death said.

"Hey, I use what I know," Ranma said with a smirk. "But, I invoke the right to a game of chance."

"Oh?"

"I'll relinquish my right to live, if Bookman fails to give one last sales pitch."

"Fine, but I'll choose the client," Ryuk said.

"I'll do one better: Bookman will give one last sales pitch…to you."

"What?" Bookman said.

Ranma turns towards the older-looking man.

"Bookman, you're the best salesman I've ever known," Ranma said with a smile. "This is…the big leagues."

"Are you sure…I can do this?" Bookman said.

"Buddy, I wouldn't put my faith in you."

"I'll accept your wager, if I have your word that your wife, the Moon Princess does seek vengeance," Mr. Death said.

"Deal."

"Good," Mr. Death said, as he turns towards Bookman, as he folds his arms. "Sell me something."

Bookman merely swallows hard. Still, he wouldn't be known as the 'Best Salesman West of the Mississippi' for nothing.

"Okay," Bookman said, as he clapped his hands. "Where to begin…"

**C. "Mr. Denton on Doomsday"**

Submitted for your approval: _Portrait of a town drunk named Al Denton. This is a man who's begun his dying early—a long agonizing route through a maze of bottles. Al Denton, who would probably give an arm or a leg or a part of his soul to have another chance, to be able to rise up and shake the dirt from his body and the bad dreams that infest his consciousness. In the parlance of the times, this is a peddler, a rather fanciful-looking little man in a black frock coat. And this is the third principal character of our story: Ranma Saotome. His function? Perhaps to give Mister Al Denton his second chance._

Deadwood City, Texas: 1890 CE.

"Why should I trust you, a 'Chinaman'?" said Denton, as he washed his face at the horse troth.

"First, I'm Japanese," Ranma said, with annoyance. He was on his way to Los Angeles, California, to catch a ship to Australia, when he came across a former gunslinger that was down on his luck.

"Second, I can't stand to see someone as pathetic as you be so…weak."

"Hey!" Denton yells. "It's not like that at all!"

"I heard," Ranma said, as he throws a towel at Denton. "You got tired of having the reputation of being the best gunslinger around. So, you ended up an alcoholic."

"Humph," Denton replied. "But it don't matter, since I'm not the man I use to be."

"Well, I can help you get your speed back fairly quickly," Ranma said.

"How is that?" Denton asked.

"Let me see your gun," Ranma asked.

Shrugging, Denton does as he is told.

"Okay, now what?" Denton asked.

"Watch," Ranma said, as he turns the gun towards his head.

"Huh?" said Denton, as he attempts to grab the gun in Ranma's hand. "Don't-!"

BANG!

Denton watches Ranma catch the bullet between his fingers, while the gun was six inches from his temples.

"As you can see, I know a little bit about speed," Ranma said with a knowing smile, as he drops the bullet. "Why do you think I don't carry a gun?"

"Huh," Denton said. "Impressive."

Pause.

"So, what am I going to learn? How to be faster than a speeding bullet?"

"No, my friend," Ranma said. "By the time you are ready to face your opponent, you HAVE to."

**D. "The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine"**

_Picture of a woman looking at a picture. Movie great of another time, once-brilliant star in a firmament no longer a part of the sky, eclipsed by the movement of earth and time. Barbara Jean Trenton, whose world is a projection room, whose dreams are made out of celluloid. Barbara Jean Trenton, struck down by hit-and-run years and lying on the unhappy pavement, trying desperately to get the license number of fleeting fame._

Las Angeles, California: 1959 CE.

"Ronnie, thank goodness you're here," said Danny Wiess, a movie agent and old friend of Ranma's. The two had met some time during Japan's "Reconstruction Period", when Wiess was helping to set up a movie industry in the country that was not ridden with propaganda, as it was during the Tojo Era during World War II…

"Well, I'm to help and all, but why would you need me?" Ranma asked.

"Look, the things that you do…well, I know that you're an expert in the strange and paranormal."

"Um, that was just an 'oni' I defeated, man," Ranma replied. "And technically, I'm not even supposed to be using my…talents without government sanction."

"Well…I know. But it's…Barbara Jean."

"Barbara Jean Trenton?" Ranma replied. "I remember her. Golden Age beauty, actress and all-around entertainer. Did some USO shows."

"Well, she's in trouble."

"Oh?"

Danny takes Ranma into a study, where the aging actress would sit in day after day, reliving her past life as an actress in her prime. However, something was wrong…

"Where is she?" Ranma asked, as he looks around the empty study.

"You'll see," Danny said, as he activates a nearby movie projector…

CLICK!

As the film begins to play, Ranma's senses spiked. There were powerful forces at work.

"There!" Danny said, as he points to the projection screen. She's right there!"

Ranma looks at the screen, and notices that the woman in the film was moving about as she entertained her guests.

"Explain that," Danny asked, as he points to the silver screen. "She had thrown her scarf in the picture, and I found that same scarf at the very spot she threw it."

Ranma looks at the silver screen very closely…

"Apparently, your friend 'Awakened'," Ranma said, as he sat down on a nearby chair.

"I don't understand."

"What do you think of the term…'magic'?" Ranma asked.

"Just the stage stuff by vaudevillians."

"Danny, magic is REAL, and Barb just awakened to it by forcing reality to bend to her will."

"Poppy-cock," Danny scoffed. "There has to be a logical explanation for all this."

"Logic has very little to do with it. Magic is the ultimate wish fulfillment made real."

"Then how come more people can't do…magic?"

"Simple: not everyone is talented or strong enough to bend reality."

"Okay, say that you are right. How can we get Barbara back?"

"What makes you think she wants to?" Ranma said. "But…I suppose we can ask her."

"How is that possible?"

"Because, I can do magic as well…"

"Bull."

"Well, then sit back, and watch," Ranma said, as he gets up. He handed his hat to Danny.

"And learn…"

With that, Ranma leaps into the silver screen.

FWOOSH!

"My god," Danny said. "It's true…"

In the picture, Ranma turns to look back at Danny.

"It's nothing more that manipulating reality, in order enter another reality," Ranma said, as he reaches towards Danny.

FWOOSH!

Ranma stuck out his hand.

"Come."

"But…it's hard!"

"It's all about belief…and will. We don't have much time for you to make a decision."

Hesitantly, Danny takes Ranma's hand, and is yanked into the silver screen.

"Through the looking glass, I guess," Danny said, as he is pulled through. "The things an agent must do for a client…"

FWOOSH!

And he is gone.

**Tbc.**


	2. Chapter 2

**TRTSS 21: Ranma's Zone of Twilight! – By DS Wynne**

**Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST and the Twilight Zone belong to their respective owners.**

**Note: This is a multi-genre.**

**Author's Note: Sometimes, I get ideas that I want to put down on "paper", but end up not fleshing out. So, this story is just a series of vignettes (marked A-Z, so it's a limited series) based upon the "Twilight Zone" television series. As always, C&C are welcomed.**

**Part 2**

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* * *

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**E. "Walking Distance"**

_Picture one Ranma Saotome: tired and stressed from all the obligations and challenges that come his way. Lately, he thinks about the time when he had no responsibilities, wondering if the many sacrifices he has made has been in life has been worth it…_

For some reason, Ranma found himself in the past. For a more personal reason, he found himself hanging out with his much younger counterpart…

"So, how do you like it?" Ranma-onna asked, as she shared an ice-cream cone with his child-like self. She was in her girl form as a precaution.

"I guess it is okay," Young Ranma replied between licks. "Pops doesn't treat me or nothing…"

Ranma was contemplating whether or not he should change his past. Then again, the Starfleet officer in him was warning him not to alter the flow of Time…

"Well, your dad seems to be a pretty tough guy."

"I guess. Pops want me to be the greatest martial artist…ever. He teaches me all kinds of techniques."

"What type of techniques?"

"Well…lots. Next week, he wants to teach me the Cat-Fist."

"Oh," Ranma-onna said. She SO desperately wanted to prevent her younger counterpart from experiencing the trauma that was the Cat Fist…

And then, Ranma-onna's father shows up.

"There you are, you lazy boy!" Genma said. "You shouldn't be sitting around doing nothing when there is much training to do."

"But, Pop-!" the boy said, as he was pulled off his bench, dropping his ice cream cone in the process."

SPLURCH!

Ranma-onna may not want to change the timeline, but she was willing to make an exception.

"Excuse me, sir," Ranma-onna said sweetly. "But your son didn't finish his ice-cream."

Genma looks at the girl.

"You should mind your own business, little girl," Genma said.

"And if I don't, sir?" Ranma-onna replied.

"Then I would have to teach you a lesson."

"I accept your challenge."

"Huh?"

A few minutes later, Genma was facing Ranma-onna in the park, with Young Ranma looking on.

"I seriously doubt that a slip of a girl can be a worthy challenge," Genma said. He then turns towards his son.

"Watch, and learn," Genma said, as he charges forward.

Ranma-onna smirked, as she waited until the last minute to respond…

"POPS!" Young Ranma yelled in concern, as he hovers over his father. "Pops?"

"Ohhhh…"

"I told you that I was good," Ranma-onna said.

Young Ranma turns towards Ranma-onna.

"You…you bully!" Young Ranma said.

"Oh?" Ranma-onna said with surprise.

"Pops may be…Pops, but he was MY Pop!"

"But-"

"Go away, you…girl!"

Ranma-onna was stunned. And then she realized something.

"It's my entire fault," Ranma-onna said. "All of it. No wonder I was such a jerk to girls, because a girl beat up…my Pops…"

"Ranma?" said a gentle voice from behind.

Ranma-onna turns towards Urd, the Norn goddess of the Past.

"Urd? What's going on?"

"A lesson…and a release, old friend," Urd said.

"Which is…?"

"You wanted to be the best martial artist around, because of some nameless girl. Now that you know the truth…"

"…I can finally have peace with myself, knowing that I was chasing a phantom menace…who turned out to be ME," Ranma-onna replied. "That is pretty messed up."

"Yes, and now you can truly achieve your hidden potential without ego."

"Huh. So now what?"

"Well, since we are here, you can take me out for a few rounds," Urd said, as she hugged Ranma-onna.

"What's with you and alcohol anyway?" Ranma replied.

**F. "Escape Clause"**

_You're about to meet a hypochondriac. Witness Mr. Walter Bedeker, age forty-four, afraid of the following: death, disease, other people, germs, draft, and everything else. He has one interest in life, and that's Walter Bedeker. One preoccupation: the life and well-being of Walter Bedeker. One abiding concern about society: that if Walter Bedeker should die,__ how will it survive without him?'_

One day, Ranma was minding his own business, when a body fell from the skies. Naturally, being the awesome person that he was, he caught said body before it had hit the ground. It turned out to be a woman who had accidentally falling from the apartment building he was passing by at the time. However, it was the woman's husband that caught his attention…

"So, let me get this straight," Ranma said, as he comforted the woman while speaking to a jerk of a husband. "You wanted to jump out your apartment building because…you're bored with being invulnerable."

"That's right, my friend," Bedeker said in a cocky manner.

"I could have gotten killed because of you!" said Mrs. Bedeker.

"Aw, what a shame…that I won't be able to experience the electric chair."

"You…you monster!"

"How did you get this…invulnerability?" Ranma asked.

"Oh, a gentleman by the name of Cadwaller gave it to me. You see, I was a hypochondriac. I didn't want to be afraid of anything anymore…"

Pause.

"And now I am bored by it."

"You're bored because you feel no pain, is that it?" Ranma asked.

"That's right. Maybe I should…jump into a volcano next…"

Ranma turns towards the wife.

"Do I have your permission to teach this guy a lesson in humility?" Ranma asked.

"Go ahead, I don't care anymore!" Mrs. Bedeker replied.

"Good," Ranma said, as he suddenly choked slammed Bedeker onto the ground.

BAM!

"I'm invulnerable, you know."

"First, 'Cadwaller'…is the Devil."

"What?" Mrs. Beker said in shock.

"Second, there are levels of invulnerability that are different. For example, you're not invulnerable from 'Psychic Blade Attack'."

"What do you mean-?" Bedeker said, as he sees Ranma form a blade of psychic energy in his hand, before he stabbed it into his head.

ZAARK!

"Arrrgh!" Bedeker screamed.

"You like that?" Ranma said, as he began to repeatedly "stab" Bedeker's mind. This caused him to feel pain mentally.

"Okay, stop!" Mrs. Bedeker pleaded.

Ranma stops his attack, and gets up, releasing Bedeker in the process. Bedeker feels his head for a wound that was not present, as Mrs. Bedeker goes to her husband's side.

"You have a gift, Mr. Bedeker," Ranma said, as he felt his forehead. "Don't waste it on stupid pursuits. Use it for the betterment of humankind."

"I'll think about," Bedeker said.

"So…what was that escape clause anyway?"

"If I got too bored, and could…option out of life."

"Typical devil trick…"

**G. "The Lonely**"

_Picture if you will: a man alone thanks to a series of unfortunate events. However, that loneliness will pave the way to a new life…and a new civilization._

Thanks to an old enemy with a grudge, Ranma found himself on a planet far from the nearest civilized world. His ship was wrecked, and there was some sort of energy field, which surrounded the planet, that prevented him from leaving it. Whoever "jumped" him knew exactly what they were doing…

"Probably a plot from 'Iron-Jerk'…again," Ranma grumbled, as he scanned for food. So far, he found nothing that was "edible". The planet itself was in its primordial stage, and thus did not have anything in the way of life. Still, as long as he had proteins to consume from the lichen that dotted the landscape.

As he climbed the jagged rocks, he accidentally cut himself on some sharp obsidian.

"Ow," Ranma replied, as he looked at his cut hand. The same field that was keeping him on the planet had affected his ability to generate a solid battle aura.

"Damn it," Ranma said, as he wrapped his hand with a bandana. The atmosphere was barely breathable, which is why he wore a wet bandana over his mouth and nose. "I got to get this taken care of…"

A short while later, after Ranma returned to his ship the spilt blood drained into a pond of primordial ooze. The proteins in the ooze combined with Ranma's blood, causing something miraculous to occur…

The next day, Ranma, after a night sleep, Ranma steps out of his ship to discover that the landscape was covered in…green. In fact, he could hear the sound of animal life.

"What the hell?" Ranma replied, as he took out his scanner. He scans the surrounding landscape, and realized that the nucleic structure of the plant…was similar to his own. Continuing the scans, Ranma realized that the gamma-radiated cells had accelerated the evolutionary process of one of the primordial ooze ponds. Essentially, Ranma became the Creator of this world.

"Great, just great," Ranma said. "Now, what-?"

"AHHHHHHHH-!" came a scream.

Instinctively, Ranma rushes over to the source of the noise, and sees some sort of predatory creature cornering a girl…

"Oh, no you don't!" Ranma yelled, as he tackled the creature, only to be cut up really bad. Still, Ranma survived the experience, and turns to face the girl that he saved…

Other than the fact that the girl had dirty skin and matted hair, she appeared to look like Ranma's female form.

"Huh," Ranma said, as he cautiously crept up to the girl. "Are you…okay?"

The girl continues to look at Ranma.

Ranma kneels a bit and open his palms.

"Friend," Ranma said. He hoped that the girl had enough cognitive skills to understand him…

The girl tilts her head, as she tenderly reaches out to touch Ranma's hands.

"F…fff-end?" the girl said.

"Friend," Ranma said with a smile.

Weeks later, the Doctor, Jackie and the newest of the companions Jackson Lake (a man who believed he was a future incarnation of the Doctor) and a former prostitute named Rosita Farisi (a British black woman), both hailing from the mid-1800s, stepped outside the TARDIS. The new companions accepted the Doctor's invitation to be the Doctor's companions in Ranma's absence for a while.

"This is where Ranma ended up, Jacqueline?" Jackson said.

"That's what the telemetry said, Mr. Lake," Jackie said with mild annoyance.

"I can't believe we're on some other world," said Rosita, as she covered herself in her frock. "Maybe we can meet some angels?"

"Hopefully, not the kind that 'weep'," the Doctor replied. "It is good thing we were able to find the temporal pocket when we did, no doubt a reminder of what Davros tried to do…"

"I don't know why these readings are off," Jackie said, as she scanned the area.

"How so?" Jackson replied.

"I'm picking up Ranma everywhere, which doesn't make any sense."

"Then find that which ISN'T Ranma, and you will find your answer."

Jackie looks at Jackson with a raised eyebrow.

"You're not the Doctor, you know-"

"Father?" said a young boy, as he steps out of the TARDIS.

Jackson turns towards the boy, and picks him up.

"Freddie, you shouldn't be out here until we know it's safe," Jackson said.

"I know, but what about you?"

"I'll be alright, son," Jackson said, as he turns towards Rosita. "Rosita, make sure that Frederick stays put until we return."

"Yes, Mr. Lake," Rosita said, as she took to her duties as a nanny. She then turns towards the boy.

"You promise to behave yourself?" Rosita said, as she takes the boy from his father.

"Yes, mum."

"Alright," the Doctor said, as he looks about. "Remember, Ranma may be in trouble, since this…pocket of time accelerates the flow of time on this planet. Eons could have passed in a blink of an eye. For all we know, he could be in trouble…all alone."

Thirty minutes later…

"Oh, yeah, Ranma is in REAL trouble," Jackie said with annoyance.

Apparently, the planet's humanoid population evolved into a race of Ranma(s), male and female alike. Right now, the developmental period was that of the imperial period.

"All bow down to the great 'Ranma Prime'!" said a male servant, as Ranma, the real one, was brought into the throne room, which was flanked by soldiers while handmaidens threw petals of flowers at the procession.

"Oh, hey guys," Ranma said with a smile. "Boy, am I glad to see you guys."

"Fascinating," Jackson said. "I never thought it was possible that one can, through interbreeding, create an entire world."

"That's because Ranma's genetic structure is more efficient than humans, thanks to his Juraian heritage," the Doctor said, as he glances towards Ranma. "You and will have to have a LONG talk about this…"

**Tbc.**


	3. Chapter 3

**TRTSS 21: Ranma's Zone of Twilight! – By DS Wynne**

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* * *

  
**

**Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST and the Twilight Zone belong to their respective owners.**

**Note: This is a multi-genre.**

**Author's Note: Sometimes, I get ideas that I want to put down on "paper", but end up not fleshing out. So, this story is just a series of vignettes (marked A-Z, so it's a limited series) based upon the "Twilight Zone" television series. As always, C&C are welcomed.**

**

* * *

  
**

**Part 3**

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**H. "Time Enough At Last"**

_Witness Ranma Saotome, a charter member in the fraternity of martial artists. An immortal warrior whose passion is for the Art of Fighting, but whose luck with the sisters of Fate has been lacking. Still, the challenge that Ranma will face will be in the future…or so it seems._

A pair of X-Wing fighters can be seen streaking across the blackness of space.

"You know, Ranma, this was a good idea breaking out our old X-Wings for a nice flight run," Usagi said, as she darted in and out of the debris within the Asteroid Belt. "Right, R2-DD?"

Usagi's astromech droid chirps and whistles its reply.

"See?"

"Like you understand what he's saying," Ranma said, as he shadows his wife's flight trajectory.

"One, 'he' is a SHE, and, two, I can speak droid."

"Cannot."

"Can, too! Watch…"

Usagi chirps and whistles, which received a response from both her astromech droid, and Ranma's astromech droid (named "WD-40"). As soon a Usagi begins to giggle, Ranma catches on.

"You better not be talking about me, you know," Ranma said while feigning annoyance.

"Heh, spoilsport-"

CHIRP-BLOOP!

"Hold on," Usagi said, as she double checked her sensors. "I'm picking up multiple bogeys several clicks from here."

"We better investigate," Ranma replied. "General Landry has been receiving reports from UN Spacy to keep an eye out on Zentraedi activity in the Asteroid Belt."

"Right," Usagi said, as she activates the hull polarizer on her fighter. Polarizing the hull strengthens the durability of the fighter…

"Now, go in nice an easy," Ranma said. "WD-40, plot the best course to intercept the bogeys."

The astromech droid beeps and whistles its response.

"You said it."

"Ah-HA!" Usagi said. "So you CAN talk to your dorid."

"Give it a rest, will ya?"

Later…

"You did it…you blew it up," Ranma said while shaking his head, as he flew his X-Wing over the ruins of a broken city…on Earth. Upon reaching the unknown target in the Asteroid Belt, he and Usagi discovered that the Zentraedi were building a secret "jumpgate" that would enable them to circumvent Earth's defenses. So, Ranma and Usagi chose to shutdown the operation, before the Zentraedi working on the jumpgate could getaway or report back to Supreme Commander Dolza. However, in the process of destroying the jumpgate itself, a wormhole occurred, sucking Ranma in…

And now, he was on Earth, where a nuclear war took place.

"Based upon those landmarks, or what's left of them, I must be over New York City," Ranma said. "WD, scan for survivors."

Ranma's astromech mech beeps its response.

"Oh? You detect someone…?"

Ranma began to focus on the coordinates of what WD-40 had spotted…

"I see…a guy sitting on the steps of the Main Library," Ranma said. "I'm going to set down…a block from there…"

Fifteen minutes later, Ranma, with his mini-pack, collapsible walking staff, blaster and lightsaber on his person, and WD-40 travels through the burnt out debris that was the heart of the city. Before departing from his ship, he remotely electrified the hull, so that people could stay away from his X-Wing. Ranma can see what used to be signs of human life…

"What the hell happened here?" Ranma said. "Did I travel through time or something…?"

Ranma was concerned about what happened to his friends and family, but decides to investigate the only sign of humanoid life.

At the same time, he noticed the design of some of the vehicles, which clued him in that he might not be on HIS Earth…

WD-40 whistles and beeps something.

"I'm beginning to suspect that you're right, WD," Ranma said. "I'm glad to have brought out my gear-"

"Help!" cried a voice. "Help-!"

"WD, let's go!" Ranma said, as he hurried to the source of the action.

"Heehehee!" said a ruffian, as he and several other toughs were picking on an older man, who scrambled about blindly.

"Leave me alone!" said the man. "I just want to read my books!"

"Tough for you, old man!" said the ruffian.

"You should've died with the rest!" said another. "But now, we're going to eat you-!"

"Hey!" yelled Ranma.

All was still, when the ruffians and the older man turns to face Ranma.

"Huh, another survivor," said the ruffian, as he and his buddies surrounded Ranma. "And look! This guy is one of them 'Star War' nerds."

Ranma tilts his head slightly.

"At least I'm not a part of a circle of jerk idiots," Ranma said with a smirk.

"What?" the lead ruffian said.

"You heard me."

"Yeaaaaarrrgh!" yelled one of the ruffians, as he tried to club Ranma in the head.

Ranma simply punches straight ahead, knocking him out.

"Holy-!" said another ruffian.

"Any other takers?" Ranma said.

That's when the other ruffians began to rush him. However, Ranma merely swats these people away.

POW! SMACK! BAM-!

"Look, just go, okay?" Ranma said. "Last warning."

"Whatever," the lead ruffian said, as he pulls out a handgun, and begins to discharge the weapon.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM-!

Ranma, with just his right hand, catches the bullets between his fingers.

"Nice," Ranma said, as he flicked his hands to send the rounds at the gang leader's feet.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

"Yeowtch!" the lead ruffian said, as he hopped about in the feign attempt to hop over the discharged weapons fire.

"Leave…now," Ranma said with finality.

Seeing no other option, the lead ruffian and his buddies turn tail and leave, with one of them carrying their fallen comrades…

"Well, that's that," Ranma said aloud. He then turns towards the fallen, older man.

"Come with me if you want to live," Ranma said to the bewildered man, as the man accepted his outstretched hand…

Later…

"So, the year in 1959, eh?" Ranma said, as WD-40 worked to fix Henry Bemis' glasses, while he and the older man shared a meal together.

"So, you're not from the future, young man?" Bemis asked.

"A future, not THIS future," Ranma replied. "On my world, in the year 1959, there is no nuclear holocaust."

"A bet that your world is a paradise, then," Bemis said with a sigh.

"Not really," Ranma replied. "In my time, my Earth is presently in the middle of a war with giants."

"Oh, dear…"

WD-40 beeps and whistles, and presents Ranma Bemis' repaired glasses.

"Thanks," Ranma replied, as he inspects them. He then hands them off to Bemis.

"Good as new, and now unbreakable."

"Ahh," Bemis said happily, as he puts on his glasses. "I thought I would never be able to read again…"

"Well, as soon as you're ready, we can go to my world, where you don't have to worry about any of this."

Bemis muses for a moment…

"No, I can't leave my world…such as it is."

"But…are you're sure?" Ranma asked.

"I'm positive," Bemis said. "Somebody has to remain behind, so that mankind's knowledge will not be lost. Yes, I know about those bullies, but I'll do what I must to insure that my world has a chance to rebuild…"

Bemis then points to the library behind him and Ranma.

"The state of affairs reminds me what was lost when the Library at Alexandra was burnt to the ground…"

Ranma nods his head in reply.

"Alright, fine. But I don't want you to be by yourself in this endeavor…"

Ranma turns towards WD-40.

"Buddy, I need for you to stay here and keep Mr. Bemis' company, and to help him rebuild this world."

The astromech droid beeps its response.

"Don't worry. I'm going to make a copy of your core memory, so that I can build you a younger brother."

The droid responds.

"Of course, I'll keep in touch. I want you to reconfigure your transponder for trans-dimensional signaling…"

Ranma then looks up at Bemis.

"I'm going to report to my superiors about sending a civilian and military expeditionary force, so that this world can begin the rebuilding process," Ranma replied.

"I and many of the survivors of this world would love that," Bemis said. He then turns to look back at his stacks of books.

"For now, I have time to sort these books…at last…"

**I. "Perchance to Dream"**

Submitted for your approval: It is _twelve o'clock noon. An ordinary scene, an ordinary city. Lunchtime for thousands of ordinary people. To most of them, this hour will be a rest, a pleasant break in the day's routine. To most, but not all. To Ranma Saotome, time is an enemy, and the hour to come is a matter of life and death._

Every night, for the past several nights, Ranma tosses and turns in his bed. And every night, he sees the same woman in his dreams.

"Ranma!" the woman said. "Save me!"

Every night, every time the woman appears, it is always in front of a broken clock, whose hands were stuck on the twelfth hour.

"If you don't save me, I won't be born…"

"Gah!" Ranma replied, as he shoots out of bed.

Usagi wakes up from her slumber.

"Hon, what's the matter?" Usagi said, as she gently touched Ranma's shoulders.

"It's that same damn dream," Ranma said, as he rubs his forehead.

Usagi frowns.

"Look, it's not your fault as to what happened to Katherine Janeway," Usagi said. "And she died a hero. You should be proud of that."

"But…what if I am to save her somehow?" Ranma said. "Maybe…I'm to make sure to do something in this era?"

"Then, if you are having a premonition, then you won't realize it until it's too late…or close to it."

"Well, I can't stand the wait," Ranma said, as he leans back into bed.

"I know, dear," Usagi said, as she lay next to Ranma. "Just have faith in your ability to solve this mystery."

"Alright," Ranma said with a sigh. "Oh, are we still on for lunch downtown?"

"Yeah, though there is a chance I might be late."

"True to form, eh?"

WHAP!

"Ow!"

"Jerk," Usagi said, as she cuddled her man.

The next day, Ranma was sitting at a sidewalk café, when he checked the time at a nearby store…

"Huh?" Ranma said, as he notices the design of the wall clock. It was the exact same one in his dream…

HONK! HONK!

Ranma quickly looks around to see an American family crossing the street, just as a delivery truck ran the light.

"Of course!" Ranma yelled, as he quickly leaps to his feet…

SKREEE-BAM!

"Kathy?" said the American woman, who immediately rushes back into the street to retrieve her red-headed daughter.

Ranma looks up, as he pushes the truck off his back. He notices that the girl he had saved was the same one he had saved a few years ago, albeit a bit older.

"Humph," Ranma said, realizing that he had saved one of Janeway's ancestors…and his daughter Katrina…

"Are you okay, mister?" Young Kathy asked.

"Yeah, I will be," Ranma said with a smile. "I will be…"

**Tbc.**


	4. Chapter 4

**TRTSS 21: Ranma's Zone of Twilight! – By DS Wynne**

**

* * *

  
**

**Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST and the Twilight Zone belong to their respective owners.**

**Note: This is a multi-genre.**

**Author's Note: Sometimes, I get ideas that I want to put down on "paper", but end up not fleshing out. So, this story is just a series of vignettes (marked A-Z, so it's a limited series) based upon the "Twilight Zone" television series. As always, C&C are welcomed.**

**

* * *

  
**

**Part 4**

* * *

**J. "Judgment Night"**

_Her name is the_ S.S. Queen of Glasgow_. Her registry: British. Gross tonnage: Five thousand. Age: Indeterminate. At this moment she's one day out of Liverpool, her destination New York. Duly recorded on this ship's log is the sailing time, course to destination, weather conditions, temperature, longitude and latitude. But what is never recorded in a log is the fear that washes over a deck like fog and ocean spray. Fear like the throbbing strokes of engine pistons, each like a heartbeat, parceling out every hour into breathless minutes of watching, waiting and dreading. For the year is 1942, and this particular ship has lost its convoy. It travels alone like an aged blind thing groping through the unfriendly dark, stalked by unseen periscopes of steel killers. Yes, the_ Queen of Glasgow _is a frightened ship, and she carries with her a premonition of death._

Mid-Atlantic Ocean: 1942 CE.

"…So, I told the ticket booth attendant that HE should apologize for insulting a proper lady," said Miss Stanley, an attractive blond woman of impeccable taste. "So, he relented by selling me a standby ticket for this trip."

"Properly wanted to shut you up," said Ranma, as he took a sip of his wine. "I know I want you to."

"Humph

A British officer, who was the "First Mate" aboard the _Queen of Glasgow_, turns towards Ranma.

"That is no way to treat a lady, my friend," First Mate McGee replied.

"My annoyance stems from the fact that Miss Stanley is using her femininity to get ahead of everyone else," Ranma said. "Would YOU be able to use your masculinity to get by? Aren't we supposed to be equal under laws of God and men?"

"You might have a point there, young man," said Captain Wilbur, as he took a sip of his tea. "That is the point of this…god forsaken war…"

Wilbur turns towards a man who sat alone at the bar in the dining room.

"My good man, don't you agree, Mr. Lanser?" Wibur asked.

"I'm…I'm not sure," Lanser said, as he quickly took a drink.

"What do you mean, you're not sure?" asked McGee. "Oh, that's right…your government was the one who started this conflict."

"It's not that simple," Lanser said, as he turns around to face the dinner guests. "Whatever you may think about my country, this conflict is the result of unfair treatment at the end of the first war."

"Well, I agree with that, but that doesn't mean Germany or its Axis Allies should go around taking over other countries," Ranma said.

"Young man, you're Nipponese, are you not?" asked the elderly Mrs. Pennyworth, the aunt of Miss Stanley.

"Um, yeah," Ranma said, as s sweat drop fell down the back of his head.

"I'm surprised that you are far from home," Miss Stanley interjects.

"I rejected the government of Japan because I think that this war is wrong," Ranma replied. "Nor so I support the line that this war is necessary for the survival of my people."

Pause.

"This war is nothing more than an excuse to earn medals and prestige for the sake of posterity. There is nothing honorable about this war, as far as I am concerned."

"Perhaps, Mr. Lanser, you should take our new friend's words to heart?" Wilbur asked.

Lanser was about to retort when he sees that the clock was about to strike fifteen minutes after 1:00 AM…

"Gott in Himmel!" Lanser said with alarm. "It's going to happen!"

"What's going to happen?" McGee asked.

"This ship will be attacked!" Lanser said. "You have to turn back…now-!"

"How do you know this?" Ranma said, as he gets up from his seat.

"Because I'm-"

BOOM!

The ocean liner rocks, as it is repeatedly fired upon.

"Ah!" Miss Stanley said, as she fell into Ranma's arms.

"It's happening again!" Lanser said. "Again! Again-!"

Sometime later…

"A successful kill," said Captain Karl Lanser, as he closes his U-boat log book.

"Sir, are you sure we did the right thing?" asked Lanser's first officer.

"Of course we did, Lt. Mueller," Lanser said. "We are at war…and the British were warned about our presence."

"I hope you are right, sir," Mueller replied. "But…I can't help the feeling that we are going to receive some retribution for sinking an unarmed vessel."

With that, Mueller leaves Lanser's quarters.

"Why do I get a sense of déjà vu?" Lanser asked aloud.

KNOCK-KNOCK!

"Come," Lanser replied.

The door opens to reveal a wet Ranma Saotome, who held a weird-looking flashlight, thanks to the machinations of the mad group of geniuses known as the Sons of Ether.

"What-?"

FLASH!

"Ahhhhhhhh…"

As Lanser fades away, he hears Ranma's words.

"Because of your senseless act of violence, I condemn you to relive the last few hours on board the _Queen of Glasgow_…stuck in a temporal loop for the rest of your natural life," Ranma said. "Hopefully, whatever god you believe in will have mercy on your soul…"

And with that, Lanser disappears.

Ranma sighs, as he leans on the door…

"Ranma, we have the prisoners secured," McGee said.

"Good," Ranma replied, as he stands up straight. At least he was glad to save some of the passengers from death.

"Have someone radio ahead, so we can drop off this tin can…"

**K. "And When the Sky Was Opened"**

_Her name:__ X-20__. Her type: an experimental interceptor. Recent history: A crash landing in the Mojave Desert after a thirty-one hour flight nine hundred miles into space. Incidental data: The ship, with the men who flew her, disappeared from the radar screen for twenty-four hours._

"This is damn peculiar," Colonel Ranma Saotome (USAF) said, as he looked at the reports. Ranma, having completed his stint with SGC, was now a liaison officer to UNIT. Specifically, he was a companion of the enigmatic Time Lord known as "The Doctor".

"I still don't know what you are talking about," said Lady Christina de Souza, a royal and a thief, who was filing her finger nails. After Jackson Lake, his son Frederick and his son's nanny Rosita Farisi decided to settle down in modern day London, the Doctor picked up a new companion: Lady Christina de Souza, a bored royal who decided to become a master thief for the thrill of it. She came on board after an adventure with the Doctor and Ranma, after they and an entire London bus was transported to the desert world of San Helios. That adventure changed Christina's ways, even if it's for a little bit. And now, she was a companion to the Doctor with Ranma…

Ranma looks up.

"I'm saying that based upon the evidence, someone has purposely erased these men from existence."

"Okay, Detective Holmes, how," Christina said, as she sets down her fingernail file. "What do you have?"

"Several decades ago, the United States government had authorized the test of a space jet called the X-20 DynaSoar."

"'Dinosaur'?"

"No, as in 'Dynamic-Soaring'."

"Oh. Go on…

"It was a three-manned vehicle designed to utilize scramjet technology, making it easy to launch vehicles into space with little fuel."

Pause.

"Sometime during the flight, ground control lost contact with the vehicle for an entire day. Later, the flight crew and craft was recovered miles off course."

Ranma then taps into the TARDIS systems, and brings up the pictures and files of three men.

"Handsome blokes, they are," Christiana said.

"Mission commander Colonel Clegg Forbes, United States Air Force. Co-pilot Colonel Ed Harrington, United States Air Force. Major William Gart, engineer, United States Air Force."

"Okay, so they all belong to the United States Air Force," Christina replies. "So what?"

"I got this record from the TARDIS database, and not from the Air Forces. How did I get it?"

"I'm not sure."

"Neither was I, so I did some cross-referencing, based upon the extraneous information here, and discovered one great big hole. Normally, if you wanted to erase something, you do two things: one, erase the memories of anyone associated with those guys, and cleaned the records. But the records are SO cleaned that there are illogical gaps in history. For example, Clegg was a decorated piloted during World War II, after saving his many wing-mates during that time. And yet, that same event still occurred. As far as the 'official report' is concerned, a 'miracle' happened when, suddenly, several German fighters were destroyed."

"You're right, that doesn't make sense."

"Precisely. Furthermore, using a extrapolating technique, I discovered the supposed flight trajectory of X-20…"

Ranma brings a display of the American Southwest.

"Right there," Ranma said, as he used a marker to circle one particular spot on the map.

"Right where?"

"That is 'Miracle Mesa'," the Doctor said, as he walks down from above on the upper terrace. "The 'Bermuda Triangle' of the United States."

"You know about that place, Doctor?" Christiana asked.

"It's what you would call a 'temporal hotspot' caused by a convergence of the planet's electromagnetic field," the Doctor said, as he looks at the map with his glasses on. "A rather fascinating phenomenon that is yet to be exploited…"

"Doctor, what do you think of my analysis?" Ranma asked.

"I think that we should explore this possibility," the Doctor said. "I would hate to think that whatever caused those pilots to cease to exist will happen again…"

The Doctor then takes off his glasses.

"Then again, I would like to think that we can get those people back."

"Oo!" Christiana said with glee. "Can I?"

"You can," the Doctor replied, as he brings up the activation level to the TARDIS.

"Now, don't steal that while you're at it," Ranma said with a smirk.

"Ha, ha," Christina said, as she flipped the switch.

FWOOSH!

And the TARDIS screeches to its next destination…

**L. "What You Need"**

_You're looking at Mr. Fred Renard, who carries on his shoulder a chip the size of the national debt. This is a sour man; a friendless man; a lonely man; a grasping, compulsive, nervous man. This is a man who has lived thirty-six undistinguished, meaningless, pointless, failure-laden years and who at this moment looks for an escape—any escape, any way, anything, anybody—to get out of the rut. And one Ranma Saotome is just what Mr. Renard is waiting for._

Fred Renard was an investigative journalist assigned to cover the exploits of the founder of Phoenix Foundation, a transnational humanitarian organization that has both private and public dealings. Ranma was rumored to have a lot of girlfriends, and wives, which was the original angle that Renard was going for. Instead, he found incriminating evidence that could become problematic to the martial arts adventurer.

"What do you think, Mr. Rantsu?" Renard said, as he took a drag from his cigarette.

"Huh," Ranma replied, as he looked at the old documents. Apparently, he uncovered pictures of him and Usagi working with Mao on the development of the nuclear bomb. However, Renard went in thinking that the Ranma and Usagi in the picture were his grandparents. Regardless, the fact that the founder of the Rantsu Foundation was working for the Chinese communists in the 1950s could be a public relations nightmare…

Ranma then looks up at Renard.

"What do you want, Renard?" Ranma asked.

"Well, not too much," Renard replied. "I want a personal retirement trust fund set up. You know, I want the fund to be nine figures long. In British pounds, not yen or dollars."

"And if I refuse?"

"I'm sure the Chinese government won't mind exploiting this bit of news, in order to embarrass the Japanese government."

Pause.

"I need money you know."

"I see," Ranma said, as he picked up a glass of water. "Well, I'll give you what you REALLY need…"

Ranma drank the contents of the glass, change its properties, and then blew the altered water out of his mouth in a form of a hot, fine mist that enveloped Renard.

"Wha-?" Renard said, as he becomes a buxom girl version of himself.

"Wha-?"

"Just to let you know, I've master the cursed waters of Jusenkyo to the point of tapping into their power," Ranma said. "For instance, you now have the curse of the 'Spring of Drowned Girl', only, I made this permanent…unless I say otherwise."

"Wha-wha-?"

"I don't like black mailers, MISS Renard. But…I am not a cruel man. So…here's what we are going to. You are going to make an effort to prevent these documents from reaching public scrutiny, by turning them over to me. And then, I might consider restoring you to normal…after month has gone back, at least."

Pause.

"Oh, and be thankful that you're dealing with me, and not my son Genshin," Ranma said. "You would have been fated to work in a brothel. Do you understand?"

"Wha-wha-?"

"Good day," Ranma said, as he touched the girl, and used a modified version of the Instant Transmission Technique to send Renard away.

FWOOSH!

"Idiot," Ranma said with a sigh…

**Tbc.**


	5. Chapter 5

**TRTSS 21: Ranma's Zone of Twilight! – By DS Wynne**

**

* * *

  
**

**Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST and the Twilight Zone belong to their respective owners.**

**Note: This is a multi-genre.**

**Author's Note: Sometimes, I get ideas that I want to put down on "paper", but end up not fleshing out. So, this story is just a series of vignettes (marked A-Z, so it's a limited series) based upon the "Twilight Zone" television series. As always, C&C are welcomed.**

**

* * *

  
**

**Part 5**

* * *

**M. "The Four of Us Are Dying"**

_Her name is Usagi Tsukino. Age: indeterminate. Occupation: Lunar royalty…a "Moon Princess". She's been a goddess, a scholar, a superhero, a criminal mastermind, an artist, and a soldier. In the beginning, Usagi thought that the only thing she had to look forward in life is that of a homemaker and cook, although she did achieve such roles. However, upon becoming Sailor Moon, the "senshi" of love and justice, Usagi would fight against the forces of evil. Upon taking an impromptu journey across space and time, Usagi would become a fractured soul, desperately seeking solace in the company of men…or just a single man. And that single man was Ranma Saotome. Unfortunately, over the years, this magical girl has developed some rather schizophrenic tendencies…caused by exposure to gamma radiation._

Usagi wakes up in what appeared to be a white room. The walls were white and featureless, except for the single door that was situated across the hall.

Slowly, she gets up and hesitantly goes to the door…

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

"Ah!" Usagi said, as she immediately steps back in fright. "What is…THIS?"

Pause.

"WHERE AM I-!?"

Meanwhile…

"Hulkusagi…SMASH!" roared the Hulkusagi, as she fought her gray counterpart, by picking up a car and tossing it towards her…in the heart of Downtown Tokyo.

"Moon Crescent Knife-Hand Slice!" yelled the Gray Hulkusagi, as used the edge of right hand to cut the thrown vehicle in half. She was the smallest and weakest of the Hulkusagi(s), but was the most craft.

SLICE!

"You have to do better than that, monster," the Gray Hulkusagi said, as she shifts her stance. "I am the true Moon Princess, not YOU!"

Meanwhile, the Blue Hulkusagi and the Red Hulkusagi fought down, somewhere down the streets.

"RRRAWR!" the Blue Hulkusagi roared, as the gamma-powered giantess (with small tusks) tried to crush the Red Hulkusagi in her massive hands.

The Red Hulkusagi tilts her head, as her yellow eyes glowed.

"You will find me…too hot to handle, 'Big Blue'," the Red Hulkusagi said, as she got angry. And the angrier she got, the hotter her body became.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS…

"RA-OW!" the Blue Hulkusagi roared in pain, as she dropped her red counterpart.

"Now, feel the burn!" the Red Hulkusagi said, as she expelled the equivalent heat of a nuclear furnace from her eye.

FWOOSH!

"Arrrrgh-!"

Meanwhile, Ranma and Washu hovered over the body of the REAL Usagi, who was lying prone on her old bed at her parents' house. Standing nearby were her parents Ken and Ikuko.

"Will our daughter be okay?" Ikuko asked tenderly, as she held her husband's Ken.

"We just need to re-tether your daughter's mind back to her body," Washu said.

"And if you can't?" Ken asked fearfully.

"Then Usagi will die," Ranma said. "The body can't live without a mind…"

"And what will happen to those monster versions of our daughter?"

"They'll die along with Usagi, since they are a part of her."

"So, what must you do to help her recover?" Ikuko asked, as she sat on Usagi's bed.

"There is a way, but it's a bit radical," Washu said, as she closed her handheld medical scanner.

"And that is…?" Ranma asked.

"Ranma, you have to take control over her body," Washu said. "Then, you will have to confront the others by using that technique of yours, the Happo-Yen Shiatsu, to absorb those entities back into Usagi's body. It should do the trick to allow Usagi's mind to reconstitute itself."

Ranma just looks at his old friend.

"Really, it'll work."

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to get another headache from all this…?"

"Do what you can, Dr. Washu," Ken said.

"Okay, Ranma?" Washu asked.

"Fine, let's do this," Ranma said, as he touches the temple of his wife, using a Vulcan telepathy method. "Our mind…is at ONE…"

A short time later…

"Hulkusagi will defeat puny Gray-girl-!" Hulkusagi said, just as Ranma, in Usagi's body, latches onto to her from behind.

"Surprise," Ranma-Usagi said, as she presents a 100-Yen Coin between her fingers. "Happo-100 Yen Shiatsu!"

FWOOSH!

As Ranma-Usagi absorbs Hulkusagi's energies, she begins to fade from existence.

"No…Hulkusagi…"

THIP!

"One down, three more to go," Ranma-Usagi said, as she turns towards the Gray Hulkusagi. "Next."

"You wouldn't dare harm a royal from the Moon Kingdome-" the Gray Hulkusagi said, before Ranma-Usagi acted.

FWOOSH!

"Two more to go," Ranma-Usagi said, as she begins to run down the street to confront the other two Hulkusagi(s)…

Inside Usagi's mind, the door opens up.

CHUNK!

"Wha-?" Usagi said, as she gets up. She goes to the door, and pushes the door open…

FLASH!

Usagi opens her eyes, and sees that her friend and family was staring down at her.

"What…what happened?" Usagi asked. "Last thing I remember was opening a package addressed to me, when it popped in my face."

"Apparently, your 'old friend' Madam MODOC sent you that 'trap', so that your different Gamma personalities would war against each other, literally, long enough for you to literally loos your mind…before you were to…die," Ranma said.

"Oh," Usagi said, as she sits up in her bed. "Well, at least that is over."

"Not, exactly," Ranma said, as he points outside through the bedroom window.

"Is Tokyo…on fire?"

"I'm afraid so, dear."

"Oopsie…"

**N. "Third From the Sun"**

_Quitting time at the plant. Time for supper now. Time for families. Time for a cool drink on a porch. Time for the quiet rustle of leaf-laden trees that screen out the moon. And underneath it all, behind the eyes of the men, hanging invisible over the summer night, is a horror without words. For this is the stillness before storm. This is the eve of the end._

KNOCK-KNOCK!

Dr. Will Sturka, a nuclear physicist, looks up and then turns to look at the door. His wife, Liz, grabs Will's hand.

"Will, what is-?" Liz began to say.

"Shhhh," Will said, as he cautiously gets up from the table, and then goes to the door of his suburban home…

CHUNK!

"Yes?" Will said.

Supervisor Carling, in charge of the plant where Will was working at, and where nuclear bombs were being manufactured by the dozen daily, stepped into view.

"Hello, William," Carling said with a creepy smile. "I was just on my way home when I decided to pay you and your lovely wife a visit."

Pause.

"May I come in?"

"Certainly," Will replied, as he lets Carling in.

"Hello," Liz said, as she gets up.

"Hello, Elizabeth," Carling said. "How are you?"

"I am fine. Care for coffee, tea…lemonade?"

"Lemonade, thank you," Carling said, as he adjusts his glasses. He then turns towards Will.

"So, what do you think about that…ship the government found in the desert, a month ago?"

"Ship?"

"I'm surprised that you didn't hear anything about it, since you and Jody were vacationing in the area at the time of the crash."

"Well, you know how these things are," said Will. "You know, more concerned about the honeymoon than about anything else."

"Touching-"

CHUNK!

A blond girl and a redhead enter the room through the front door.

"Oh, why it's your lovely daughter...Jody, right?" Carling said.

Jody looks at her parents.

"Mom?" Jody said. "Dad?"

"Now, don't be rude, Jody," Liz replied. "This is Mr. Carling, your father's…boss."

"Hello," Jody replied hesitantly.

Carling then turns towards the redheaded girl.

"Hello, my dear," Carling said. "I don't believe we've met."

"No, we haven't," Ranma-onna said. Ever since she had crashed landed on this planet, which was yet another doppelganger of her home planet, Ranma-onna was trying to both find replacement parts for her ship, which was secured in a secret governmental facility where Sturka and Carling worked, and find a way to get access to that facility, so that she could return to Earth. She had agreed to take Sturka, his family and another couple with her, since this planet was on the verge of a nuclear war. As much as she wanted to, Ranma-onna was forbidden to interfere in the natural development of this planet, called Terra. She did hope that there would be enough survivors to rebuild their world…

"Your…accent is unusual," Carling said.

"I'm an unusual girl," Ranma-onna said.

"She is my niece from the Eastern continent, Carling," Sturka said.

"Right," Carling said, just as Liz returns with a tray of lemonade.

"Ah, thank you, Liz," Carling said, he takes a glass to drink. "Bottoms…up…"

After downing the beverage, Carling sets the glass back on the tray.

"Very delicious, Liz," Carling said, as he turns away towards the door. "I'll just let myself out, but, in the meantime, please, if you do remember anything about your…honeymoon that could be of interest to the security forces, don't hesitate."

And, with that, Carling leaves.

CHUNK!

"Will-"said Liz.

"I know," Will replied. "We have to leave tonight."

"Will your friend have the access code to my ship?" Ranma-onna asked.

"He should be here shortly," Will replied. "But you will take us with you, right?"

"As agreed upon, yes. But, I must say, the Alpha Centauri colony on 'New Earth' would be a better place."

"Your Earth is not a paradise?" Jody asked.

"It's beautiful, but full of problems right now," Ranma-onna said. "Either way, leaving this world is the prudent thing to do…"

**O. "I Shot an Arrow into the Air"**

_Her name is the_ Arrow One_. She represents four and a half years of planning, preparation and training, and a thousand years of science and mathematics and the projected dreams and hopes of not only a nation but a world. She is the first manned aircraft into space. And this is the countdown, the last five seconds before man shot an arrow into the air._

The howl of a mad man could be heard, as Ranma and his recovery team walked over the ridge.

"I want a parameter secured," Ranma said to his team. Ranma was doing temporary work for NASA's latest mission: the recovery of "Arrow One". It was the successor of the X-20 DynaSoar project. Unfortunately, Arrow One flew over Miracle Mesa, and arrived years later to the present. In fact, upon discovery of the significance of this region of the Southwest, a moratorium was instituted, and research was done to figure out ways to best utilize this natural phenomenon. At the same time, considering the fact that Miracle Mesa was the "Bermuda Triangle" of the Southwest, a team was formed to recover any pilot or ship that might have transverse the region, such as the case with "Arrow One"…

"Okay, whatever you do, understand that these people are not going to be right in the head," Ranma said. "So use caution upon approach."

"Yes, sir!" said a security specialist.

"Meanwhile, I'm going in," Ranma replied, as he goes down a ravine.

A few minutes later…

"I killed them," John Corey said, as he rocked back and forth. "I killed them…"

"Who?" said a voice from behind.

Corey quickly turns to point his gun at Ranma.

"Who…who are you?" Corey demanded.

"Just someone looking for the crew of Arrow One," Ranma said.

"I can't let you take me to jail…but it wasn't my fault! We thought we crashed on a barren asteroid, but all we did was ended back on Earth."

"How do you know that?" Ranma asked.

"The…first man I killed for his water, Cark Pierson drew symbols that I thought were meaningless. Here, like this…"

With a stick, Corey drew a line in the sand with two sticks across it.

"I didn't know what it meant, until it was too late…"

"That looks like a drawing of a telephone pole," Ranma said.

"HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW WE CRASHED BACK TO EARTH INSTEAD?"

Ranma nods in understand. He knew what it was like to be a man lost to the sands of time…

"Mr. Corey, whatever happens from here on out, we can get through this," Ranma said.

"How do you know what I feel?"

"Because, on more than one occasion, I was forced to kill my own friends. And while it is true that they had turned to evil, it still doesn't feel any better."

Pause.

"Now, hand me your pistol."

Corey looks at Ranma for a moment, and then hands the gun to Ranma while sobbing.

"It'll be okay, buddy," Ranma said, as he took the gun while hugging a sobbing Corey. It'll be okay…"

**Tbc.**


	6. Chapter 6

**TRTSS21: Ranma's Zone of Twilight! – By DS Wynne**

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**Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST, and the other genres belong to their respective owners.**

**Note: This is a multi-genre story.**

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**Part 6  
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**P. "The Hitchhiker"**

_Her name is Nan Adams. She's twenty-seven years old. Her occupation: buyer at a New York department store, at present on vacation, flying cross-country to Los Angeles, California, from Manhattan. Unfortunately, her life is about to take a detour into the fantastic…and Ranma Saotome will be that guide. _

"Ranma," Usagi said, as she sings her words while wrapping her arms around her husband's waist.

"What is it?" Ranma said, he continued to watched "Ultimate Fighting" program.

Usagi sees what her husband was watching.

"Ranma, why are you watching this?" Usagi asked.

"For laughs," Ranma replied. "I mean, honestly…most these guys are slow, overly muscled and always using grappling moves. In fact, they are the SAME moves, but they call it 'Mix Martial Arts'. Feh. Back before this thing got regulated, anyone from any background could mix it up, no-holds barred, winner takes all. Now, that was when fighting meant something."

"Ranma," Usagi said, as she zaps the television set off.

ZAP-TING!

"Hey!"

"Look, it's been a while since you and I were by ourselves," Usagi said. "With Clor on the Avengers and Agrippa in the Justice League for a while, and with us being on 'extended leave', I got nothing to do. Let's go on a road trip this week."

"You mean drive cross-country."

"Bingo. We can travel to Chicago, and then take Route 66 into Los Angeles for some fun."

"Well, that sounds like a plan, I suppose. Okay, let's do it."

"Thanks," Usgai said, as she hugged her friend. "You won't regret it."

"I probably will, but hey, life's too short, eh?"

A few days later…

The drive from New York to Chicago was uneventful enough. They took in a show, went to clubs, visited Usagi's "shrink", psychiatrist Dr. Fraiser Crane, and even took in a ball game. Afterwards, they began the trip down the historical US Highway Route 66, made famous the Daniel Troup/Nat "King" Cole song of the same name. And that was when trouble occurred…

Driving at night, with Usagi sleeping in Ranma's arms, the martial arts adventurer came to a sudden stop, when a female suddenly appeared in the middle of the desolate road.

SKREEEE!

BUMP!

"Ow!" Usagi said, as she hits her head on the dash board of their old "Ford Fairlane" car (red, with white trim).

"Hon, are you awake?" Ranma asked.

"I am now," Usagi said with annoyance. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure, but I thought I saw someone run into the road," Ranma said. "Stay here, and keep an eye on things…"

With that, Ranma exits his car, with Usagi keeping watch.

"Be careful!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

Ranma goes to the front of the car, and sees a blond young lady, lying down in the middle of the road. He could tell that the woman was still alive. However, in spite of that, there was something odd about her aura…

HONK! HONK!

"I'm coming!" Ranma said, as he picks up the girl. As he goes back to the car, he fails to notice the eyes staring at him…

"Thanks," said the young woman, who was sipping some water at a nearby diner. Her name was Nan Adams. Like the Saotomes, she was on her way the Los Angeles, to look into buying some fashion designs for her "Tiffany's", when her plane had an emergency layover in St. Louis, Missouri. She then proceeded to rent a car, when she had accidentally hit a hitchhiker, or so she thought, since she did not find the body upon trying to find some help for her would-be victim. She called the local authorities about her concerns, filed a report, and proceeded to continue on her way.

And that's when the trouble had started for this lone woman…

"I really appreciate the help," Nan said with a sigh.

"No problem," Usagi said, as she pours honey in her tea. "But…what happened?"

"You didn't get 'jacked' or anything?" Ranma asked.

"If you mean by attacked, yes," Nan said, as she glances out towards the parking lot. "It started with one man, who insisted that I go with him. When I refused to go with him, he tried to kidnap me. I…I tried to get away from him, after he began to stalk me. It was only after getting away the last time that I ran into you guys."

"And that's when we almost hit you," Usagi said.

"Precisely."

"Well…what're your plans?" Ranma asked.

"I was on my way to Los Angeles for my job, and maybe some rest," Nan replied. "And now…I might lose my job…"

"Say no more," Ranma replied. "Just call your people, and tell them you'll be in L.A. in a couple of days ready to go do…whatever that is that you do."

"I…appreciate that, Mr. Saotome," Nan said.

"Please, call me 'Ranma'," Ranma said with a smile.

Nan nods her head in reply, and gets up from the dining table in the diner.

Usagi waited for Nan to leave, before she turned towards Ranma to smack him on his arm.

WHAP!

"Hey!" Ranma replied. "What gives?"

"Hopefully not something that results in a pregnancy," Usagi said with a smirk.

"What? Jealous now?"

"As if! But I want quality time with you, solo-style on this trip," Usagi replied. "You can go 'Tiger Woods' another time."

"And if I don't stop being my charming self?"

"Well, let me put it to you this way: I will go visit my friend Phil for some…company."

"Translation, you're going to 'sleep' with a Yeti," Ranma growled.

"Yes, and NOT in my demon or Gammazon forms either."

"Fine, you WIN."

"Thank you, dear," Usagi said, as she gives Ranma a peck on the cheek, before picking up a menu. "Now, let's just see what's good to eat…"

The trip onward seemed to be okay, except that Nan was getting increasingly agitated.

"THERE!" Nan said, as looks back wildly. "There he is again!"

"Nan, calm down," Ranma said.

"But I saw him!"

"Just because that is the case, that doesn't mean you'll be harmed."

"…"

"Nan, if you want, I can give you a sedative," Usagi said.

Ranma turns towards Usagi.

"Why do you have sedatives?" Ranma asked. "And where-?"

"I'm a doctor, remember?" Usagi asked.

"Oh, yeah…"

"No, I…I have to stay awake," Nan said. "I…I don't want to dream."

"What do you dream about?" Usagi asked.

"I…I dream of a place where the skies are orange, where two large moons hang over head," Nan said with a sigh. "There are fields of red and gold. And in the center, there is a great, domed city, where intellectuals of great renown gathered together to solve universally great problems…"

Ranma and Usagi glances over towards each other, recognizing the characteristics of a certain planet whose inhabitants lords over time…

"Pretty silly, eh?" Nan said.

"Um, Nan," Usagi asked. "What does the name…'Gallifrey' mean to you?"

""What did you say?" Nan asked.

"I said 'Gallifrey'."

"Y-yes, it does," Nan said in surprise. "How-?"

Suddenly, Ranma's and Usagi's senses went off.

"What in the world-?" Usagi said, just as the car hits an invisible barrier.

BLAM!

The car shakes to a halt.

A moment later, a figure steps out on the road.

"First catch of the day," said the man, as he grinned. "And I got the Doctor's companions to boot…"

The man then takes out a strange, looking handheld object (called a "Laser Screwdriver").

"Now, to finish off the opposition," the man said, as he steps up towards the broken car…

"GRRRRRR," said a growl from within the wrecked car.

The man stopped for a moment upon recognizing the familiar growl.

"Oh, dear-"

BLAM!

A green-skinned Gammazon bursts out of the car. In spite of being overly muscular, the creature did have the form of a female, in spite of her primal mannerism.

"RRROAARL!" Hulkusagi roared, removing the last bit of loose clothing from her form, save for the underwear (bra and panties) that was made from unstable molecules (which allowed the cloth to adjust to whatever form the wearer turns into). While Usagi was libertine in many ways, she hates being at the mercy of perverts and the paparazzi by being "in the buff".

The Gamma-skinned Moon Princess turns towards the source of her anger.

"YOU, Master!" Hulkusagi said, as she loomed over the culprit. "Hulkusagi smells Master! Knows scent! Hulkusagi will smash!"

"Not if I 'smash' first!" the Master quickly adjusts the setting of his weapon, and discharges it at the Hulkusagi.

FWAK-ZAAAAAAPPPPPPPP!

Hulkusagi charges forward, just as the weapon was discharged. However, as she rampages over, she began to revert back to normal…

"HAHAHAHA!" the Master said. "I used cosmic rays to flush the excess gamma radiation from your system!"

Usagi knew that the Master was correct. Her gamma radiated cells were nearly drained of their energy, and wouldn't be able to change back to her Gammazon from right away. However, the Master missed a factor in his calculations…

"Yeah, I know," Usagi replied, as she skids to a halt. "That's the point."

The Master was about to make a retort, when he felt a tap on his shoulder…

"No," the Master said, as he whirled around to face Ranma.

SLAP! BAMF! SMACK! KTCH!

"Yes," Ranma said, as he caught the unconscious Master, after slapping his weapon away, hitting him in the stomach, and then cold-cocking him in rapid succession, and without moving his position. He then turns to look up at his wife.

"You know, you could have absorbed the energy," Ranma said with a smirk.

"I know, but I would have ended up becoming my red incarnation," Usagi said, as she walks over back to the car. "And you know how much of a 'witch' I can get…"

Usagi then looks at Nan, who was huddling a bit.

"Are you okay?" Usagi asked.

"No!" Nan said. "What is going on?"

"Well…"

Over the course of a day, Ranma and Usagi revealed to Nan that she was a Time Lord who was reborn on Earth, shortly after the end of the Time War, and that the man who was after her was another Time Lord named "The Master". But before Nan could be reawaken to her true heritage, the Master, who had trained a trans-matter device to keep a signal on him, after learning of Ranma and Usagi's presence, ended up kidnapping Nan and disappearing anyway. What happened to them would prove to be vexing situation to Ranma and Usagi, especially knowing how upset their friend, the Doctor, would be upon knowing that Nan turned out to be from Gallifrey. How that situation is resolved is a story for another day…

**Q. "The Fever"**

_Mr. and Mrs. Ranma Saotome, three days and two nights, all expenses paid, at a Las Vegas hotel. But unbeknownst to either Mr. or Mrs. Saotome is the fact that there's a prize in their package neither expected nor bargained for. In just a moment, one of them will succumb to an illness worse than any virus can produce, a most inoperative, deadly, life-shattering affliction known as "The Fever". Of course, we're talking about the Moon Princess here, and nothing is always what it seems to be…_

Depressed over losing the Master, Usagi started to take to the casinos in Las Vegas, and got caught up in the merriment.

"Ya-hoo!" Usagi said, as she played the slots.

CHA-CHING!

"We have a winner!" said an employee.

Ranma walks up to his wife.

"Usagi, you've been up at this for hours," Ranma said. "It's time to get some sleep."

"Oh, Ranma, come on!" Usagi whined. "I only need just one more chance to make it big-"

DING-DONG!

"Oh, I'm sorry," the employee said. "You lose."

"Rats!"

"Now, can we go?" Ranma asked.

"Fine," Usagi said with a sigh, as he tipped the employee. "Let's go."

"Just how much you won anyway?" Ranma asked, as he and his wife left the gambling area.

"About…ten million dollars from one dollar," Usagi said.

"You won…ten million dollars off of playing slots?"

"No. I did all the games. I actually accumulated twenty million dollars in total winnings, but, I only took home ten million."

"…"

"I think the pit bosses are nervous about me."

"What are you going to do with the money?"

"Donate it to our foundation, of course. It's not like I need it or anything…"

**Tbc.**


	7. Chapter 7

**TRTSS21: Ranma's Zone of Twilight! – By DS Wynne**

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**Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST, and the other genres belong to their respective owners.**

**Note: This is a multi-genre story.**

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**Part 7**

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**R. "The Last Flight"**

_Witness __Flight Lieutenant__ William Terrance Decker, __Royal Flying Corps__, returning from a patrol somewhere over France. The year is 1917. The problem is that the Lieutenant is hopelessly lost. Lieutenant Decker will soon discover that a man can be lost not only in terms of maps and miles, but also in time. And time, in this case, can be measured in eternities._

"This is 'Stallion' to Base," Ranma said, as he flew an F-302 "Hawk" interceptor, a class of fighter jets capable of trans-atmospheric and space flight. Much of the technology was cobbled together from Gao'uld and Kabolian technology, and has since been seen as a logical step towards solidifying Earth's defenses…

On this day, Ranma was performing a demonstration for the brass in UNIT. With the organization still rebuilding from the Daleks' attack the previous year, the British government has made a push to acquire advanced military technology from Homeworld Security. So far, the demonstration was proven to be a success…

"Base to 'Stallion'," said the reply. "Good job. You can come home."

"Roger that, Base," Ranma replied. "Returning to base now-"

Suddenly, an object flies into view, nearly clipping the left wing of his fighter.

"Whoa," Ranma said, as worked to maintain control over his jet. "Stallion' to Base: Did you copy that?"

"We did, 'Stallion'. Please pursue and identify. Take any action if 'unidentified flying object' poses a threat."

"Roger that Base. Now: in pursuit."

Ranma begins to pursue the UFO. He had to slow down his interceptor in order to identify the object…

"Base, it appears to be a biplane, circa…1917 CE," Ranma said. "The make is a British Airco DH Mark 5. There is an active Gatling gun unit and stock, but no bombs. Recommendations?"

"Escort the plane to Base."

"Roger that. Over and out."

With that, Ranma catches up with the biplane…

Meanwhile, Flight Lieutenant William Terrance Decker was hopefully lost, until he noticed the familiar landscape of the ground below. However, a strange craft suddenly appears on his side…

"Huh?" Decker said, as he sees the strange craft. What struck him was the fact that the craft had no propellers to keep it afloat. He then sees the pilot of the craft in an enclosed cockpit, who was signaling him to follow him down. More curious than concerned about his safety, he decided to follow the craft. Besides, he was low on fuel anyway. Eventually, he recognized his base, except that there was a lot more architecture in and around his air base.

"Oh, well," Decker said, as he prepares to land…

"What do you mean I'm in the future?" Decker yelled. He was not only floored by the fact that he had traveled 93 years into the future, but that women and minorities were in important positions of British society…

"Not so loud, okay?" Lt. Colonel Jacqueline "Jackie" Tyler (of the British Branch of UNIT) said, as she rubbed her ears. She had been assigned to the case of the time-lost WW2 pilot until Torchwood sent over someone to deal with the situation.

"My apologies, mum, but this seems so…fantastic."

"Well, a lot has changed, Lieutenant," Ranma said. "Then again, considering the fact that we are at war at the moment…"

"With the Germans?" Decker asked.

"No, with alien giants, actually," Jackie said. "And that's after the planet was invaded by aliens."

"Poosh. You expect me to believe such rubbish?"

"Any more than ending up in distant future?"

"You MIGHT have a point there…"

Just then, a man dressed in a military-style trench coat enters the room. He was carrying papers and what not.

"Sorry for the delay, folks," said the handsome, dashing man. "But time flies when you're having fun kicking alien buttocks!"

"Hello, Captain," Jackie said. "Glad that you're here."

"Hello, mum," Captain Jack Harkness said with a twinkle and a smile. He then turns Ranma.

"Ronnie."

"Jack," Ranma said through gritted teeth.

"What's the matter?" Decker asked.

"Nothing but personal stuff," Jackie said, knowing what is in store for both Jack and Ranma, and knowing that Ranma didn't like what was in store for him and Jack. "So, what do you have?"

"Interesting bit of information we at the Torchwood Institute was able to uncover…or not uncover."

"No riddles please," Ranma said. "Just get to the point."

"How Gwen manages to think so highly of you is beyond me…but, this is the thing: Lt. Decker has to return to where he came from."

"I don't even know how I managed to get HERE," Decker said.

"What's important about Decker's future?" Jackie asked.

"Well, Lt. Decker will be a hero in a key battle, after the fact. During a supply mission, Decker and his squadron would encounter a German air raid that would have bombed British supply lines on the ground. What was interesting was that the intercept was purely coincidental…at least, as far as the after-action report goes."

"So, in other words, in a hypothetical timeline, the German air raid would have been a success," Ranma said. "However, because Decker went into the future, he would return to the past with the knowledge of what the Germans would do, and thus save the day."

"You mean, I was supposed to be here?" Decker asked. "But how?"

"God, Time, Fate…who knows?" Jack said. "But, if you stay here, a lot more men will die than otherwise."

"Will the German success win the war in the German favor, if I don't go back?"

"I don't know," Jack said, as he sits down. "What I do know is that you are a British flyer, which means that you have an obligation to defend crown and country."

"Humph," Decker said. "Well, at least I know that if I die for my country, it'll be worth it…"

And so Lt. Decker was sent back into the past, shot down a dozen enemy planes, and prevented the deaths of many of his countrymen. However, instead of allowing him to die a hero, Ranma secretly followed Decker into the past, and nudged his biplane—with the help of his cloaked interceptor's tractor beam—into a safe landing on a nearby farmer's field. The irony is that this act would alter the course of timeline, so that the future Commodore Matt Decker, and his son Captain Willard Decker, would be on hand to save the Earth twice: first by defeating a "Doomsday Weapon" and then later by defeating a space probe named "V'Ger" respectively. So, in a sense, Decker living to sire children would set about creating a future as it was meant to happen.

**S. "The Purple Testament"**

_Infantry platoon, U.S. Army, Philippine Islands, 1945. These are the faces of the young men who fight. As if some omniscient painter had mixed a tube of oils that were at one time earth brown, dust gray, blood red, beard black, and fear—yellow white, and these men were the models. For this is the province of combat and these are the faces of war._

"Why do we have a Jap with us?" asked Sgt. Phipps.

Ranma sighed. He was assigned to the Philippines to act as a translator, and to assess the situation for the brass in relations to a possible bio-weapons laboratory that is rumored to have been built in the north of the island chain. Most likely, the Black Dragon Society, the militaristic mystic society founded by the son of Ranma, the evil General Genshin Rantsu, had already left the country, in anticipation to the arrival of the American forces. Still, Ranma knew damn well that the Black Dragon Society were known to leave traps for intruders, which is why he was there to begin with, especially losing the super-soldier Captain America to a joint Thule-Black Dragon Society operation…

In the mean time, Ranma has to put up with ignorant comments such as Phipps'…barely.

"Look, I'm here as an American soldier, and YOUR superior officer," Ranma said. "But I'm not going to put up with stupid crap coming out on your mouth."

"Oh, really?" Phipps said, as he takes out his cigar. "What are you going to do about it-?"

SOK!

Phipps looked up at Ranma. He reached for his gun, only to have it kicked out of his hand.

KICK!

"I wouldn't try anything else, Sergeant," Ranma said, as he knells. "Your action has already landed you on the 'spit' list. I'm willing to let this slide, if you behave yourself…"

Ranma then turn to address the other soldiers, many of whom had the same feelings that Phipps had...

"I know it's difficult for some of you guys to not be objective about this war," Ranma said. "It's easy to associate an enemy due to an unprovoked attack on the homeland. You guys see me, and you see an enemy. I understand that. However, know this: I fight for the Allied Powers, as an American soldier, because of the corrupt antics of the Tojo regime. As a result, I am willing to put up many things, but I will not allow ANY man to question my intentions, nor insult me. If you don't like me because of what I am, you keep it yourself."

Pause.

"No matter what happens out here, if you allow me to fight by your side unencumbered, I will do my best to make sure that you will see your families again."

The American soldiers look around their circle of Marines…

"Sir," said Phipps, as he gets up, as he stands at attention. "I will voluntarily submit to an arrest."

Ranma turns to look at the offending soldier.

"Naw, there's no need for that," Ranma said with a cocky smile. "We will need as many brave Marines on hand, if we are to take back this land for her people."

"Thank you, sir," Phipps said.

"Carry on."

Phipps then turn towards the company commander, Captain John Riker.

"I apologize for any act of insubordination, sir," Phipps said.

"We're all stressed, Phipps," Riker said. "I consider this a verbal warning."

"Thank you, sir."

And that was that.

As the action in the Philippines begin to heat up, a squad leader, Lt. William "Fitz" Fitzgerald comes to Ranma, who was translating some documents secured at a Japanese outpost.

"Ronnie, you got a moment?" Fitz asked.

"Sure," Ranma replied, as he closes his books. "What's up?"

"I…I needed to tell someone this," Fitz said, as he sits down at Ranma's desk. "But first…are you superstitious?"

"Well, that depends," Ranma replied. "If you mean if I believe in the mysticism and the supernatural, sure…if there is evidence of it."

"Well…I'm telling you this after seeing what you did to those monsters and stuff."

"Ah," Ranma said. He, Fitz and his platoon had found the Japanese bio-weapons laboratory, and found mutates running around. Naturally, Ranma dealt with the mutants. Unfortunately, he would not know that the research at the lab would later be used by the future Umbrella Corporation, founded in 1968, with very bad results…

"Okay, so…what's on your mind?"

"Ever since we collapsed that Jap lab, I've been getting these weird visions," Fitz said. "Whenever I see a guy with a purple haze around him, that guy later gets killed."

"Really?" Ranma said. "Sounds like you developed the ability to see the 'Mark of Death'."

"What?"

Ranma quickly explains that a typical human being has the potential to see auras, the bioelectric energy that all life forms possess. However, some can even read auras, in order to discern dispositions and intent.

"But you, my friend, have the rare gift of seeing death auras," Ranma said.

"Is…is there a cure for it?" Fitz asked.

"Well…a lobotomy can do the trick, but why would you? You can be a costumed 'mystery man'."

"Yeah, right…like I'm some sort of 'super-hero'," Fitz scoffed.

"Don't knock it until you try it. Then again, it could be temporary, your condition."

"But…that's fine and dandy, but I saw several of our guys with this purple aura, including Phipps and Captain Riker."

"Huh. Okay…"

Ranma then got out a pad and pen.

"I want the names of the people with this purple aura."

"For what?"

"Well, I did make the promise save lives, you know."

"But…these men are going to die."

"Hey, I believe in cheating death," Ranma said, with a cocky grin. "Now, let's do this…"

**T. "Elegy"**

_The time is the day after tomorrow. The place: A far corner of the universe. The cast of characters: Three men lost amongst the stars, three men sharing the common urgency of all men lost— they're looking for home. And in a moment they'll find home, not a home that is a place to be seen but a strange, unexplainable experience to be felt._

2265 CE: Elegy.

"Well, we found them," Ranma said, as he used his Tricorder to examine the remains of Captain James Webber, Kurt Meyers and Peter Kirby, who appeared to be working at their starship, which disappeared decades ago. While on a routine survey mission, Elegy, a graveyard world, was discovered. Naturally, a landing party was assembled to investigate it, but ended up making a discovery that had resolved a decades old mystery...

"And from the looks of it, it appears that these men died of poison," Dr, McCoy said. He then turns towards Captain Kirk.

"Jim, what kind menace are we dealing with here?"

Captain James T. Kirk, the commanding officer of the starship "Enterprise", looks at the men who disappeared over 80 years ago…

"I don't know, Bone," Kirk said. "But, according to Spock, the caretaker of this place may have thought that these men were disturbing the dead, and so he sought to…remedy the situation."

"In other words, these men, like use, stumbled upon a mortuary."

"Bingo. And if it hadn't been for the attempt by the caretaker turn Usagi into an embalmed figure, after he tried to poison her by the same method that these men, we wouldn't have been able to track the computer that controlled him, and therefore allow Spock to reprogram the caretaker."

"Yeah, it's a good thing that Usagi is immune to poisons, especially considering the way she eats," Ranma said with a smirk. "What now?"

"We file a report and let the dead rest in peace, of course…"

**Tbc.**


	8. Chapter 8

**TRTSS21: Ranma's Zone of Twilight! – By DS Wynne**

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**Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST, and the other genres belong to their respective owners.**

**Note: This is a multi-genre story.**

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**Part 8**

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**U. "Mirror Image"**

_Usagi Tsukino is a "young woman" waiting for a bus on a rainy November night. Not a very imaginative type is Ms. Tsukino, not given to undue anxiety or fears or, for that matter, even the most temporal flights of fancy. Well, not always, but still…_

_Like most young career women, she has a generic classification as a, quote, girl with a head on her shoulders, end of quote. All of which is mentioned now because in just a moment the head on Ms. Tsukino's shoulders will be put to a test. Circumstances will assault her sense of reality and a chain of nightmares will put her sanity on a block. Usagi Tsukino, whom, in one minute, will wonder if she's going mad, if she is not already insane._

It was a long day at the proverbial office for Ranma Saotome. He had just got through dealing with yet another scheme orchestrated by the super-villain Dr. Victor Von Doom, who wanted to, again, steal the rare ore Vibranium, this time in Antarctica. The last time Doom tried to steal Vibranium, he invaded the African country of Wakanda, home of the super-human Black Panther…who just happened to be one of Usagi's old boyfriends. Although annoyed by this, though Ranma should be, due to the fact that he had dated Black Panther's wife, the superhero X-Men team leader "Storm" for a time, Ranma, Usagi, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and the X-Men had stopped Doom from obtaining Vibranium. It later turned out that if the ore is properly harnessed, it could amplify mystical power, the opposite of Premium ore. Later, Doom would try again to steal the ore, this time in Antarctica. Naturally, Ranma was there to stop him…

FLASHBACK!

"You shall NOT stop me, charlatan!" Doom said, as he blasted Doctor Ranma, the Sorcerer Supreme countered the spell with his own: Wall of Rashomon. Powered by a powerful entity, the wall was virtually impregnable.

THOOM!

"Hey, don't get mad at ME for being chosen to be the 'Sorcerer Supreme', bub," Ranma said. "And by the way, I WILL stop you."

Ranma immediately unfurls a scroll, and quickly writes down as spell for a new rote or jutsu with the stroke of his calligraphy.

"There," Ranma said, as he puts away his brush and ink pad, and performs a series of jutsus.

TING!

"Air Style: For Whom the Bell Toils!" Ranma said, as he clapped his hands together. Instead of the sound of flesh smacking together, Ranma produces gong sound.

GONG!

The sound was powerful enough to send the Wall of Rashomon into Doom.

"What-?"

BLAM!

Stuck, the technomage struggled to move, as Ranma nonchalantly goes up to his defeat foe.

"Need a hand?" Ranma asked with a smile.

"You…will pay for this outrage!" Doom replied.

"I don't think so, Doom," Ranma said. "You see, unlike Reed and Usagi, I have no problem ending your life. But that would be too easy. No, I will save you, and deliver you to the authorities…in chains, minus the armor."

"Why you-?"

POW!

"Night," Ranma said, as he removed his fist from Doom's head, forming a dent in his mask in the process. He then looks around the destroyed scenery of what used to be a rain forest of the Paleolithic era.

"Man, Steve isn't going to like this," Ranma said, referring Director Steve Rogers, head of SHIELD, who was also known as "Captain America"…

CRASH!

A tree falls on a SHIELD-issue hover vehicle.

"Steve is REALLY not going to like this…"

END FLASHBACK!

With a sigh, Ranma uses voice activation to get his phone messages, via his personal "Specified Encapsulated Limitless Memory Archive" (SELMA) unit, which possessed an advanced AI computer system…

"SELMA, are there any messages for me?" Ranma asked aloud.

Zummmmmmmm…

A holographic image of his mother appears. Originally, SELMA had generated the image in order to help Ranma on his mission, which was to apprehend escaped criminals from the future. This was all a part of an effort to provide a psychological foundation for Ranma, since it was the job of a SELMA unit to provide advice and material support for his mission.

"Good Evening, Admiral Saotome," SELMA said pleasantly. "You have several messages. However, five of them have been marked urgent by Admiral Tsukino."

"Eh?" Ranma said out of curiosity. "Okay, let's hear the urgent ones."

"Proceeding with first message," SLEMA said. "Time index: 0210 hrs."

"Ranma, this is Usagi," said the message. "It looks like I won't be able to see you when you come back from your mission. Apparently, I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere because of the storms. I'm tempted to use my…extraordinary abilities, but we both agreed to lay low for a while. So, I'll see you, hopefully, tomorrow. Love you."

BEEP!

"Proceeding with second message," SELMA said. "Time index: 0305 hrs."

"Ranma, I think there is something strange going on," Usagi said nervously. "I'm at this bus depot, waiting to get a ride to Courtland Township, when….well, I don't know. People are either acting strange, claiming that I've done things before, when…when I swear I haven't. Worse, I get the feeling that I'm being watched. It's strange. Maybe it's just me. See you when you get back. I love you."

BEEP!

"Proceeding with third message," SELMA said. "Time index: 0320 hrs."

"I…I think I'm going insane," Usagi said. "I could have sworn I've seen myself in the mirror. But…that's crazy, right? Hopefully, as soon as the bus to Courtland comes, the better I can get out of this madcap place."

BEEP!

"Proceeding with fourth message," SELMA said. "Time index: 0400 hrs."

"Ranma, I KNOW that I'm not crazy," Usagi said, sounding frightened. "This kind man tried to convince me that I was just tired. Ranma, you know how I am. I know that I am weird at times, but there IS something happening. Something is happening-"

BEEP!

"Proceeding with final message marked urgent," SELMA said. "Time index: 0515 hrs."

"HELP me, Ranma!" Usagi screamed. "She's trying to-!"

"End of message," SELMA said.

"SELMA, zero in on her location of the time of her last message," Ranma said, as he puts on his jacket.

"Confirmed," SELMA said. "Last location was the Grayhound Bus Depot in Tully, New York."

"Got it," Ranma said, as he performs a blind "Instant Transmission" technique.

ZING!

When Ranma arrives at his location, he realized that his destination was empty. He could see an old man sitting at the ticket counter.

"Hey," Ranma said, as he goes up to the counter. "Was there a woman with a funny hairdo here tonight?"

"Who wants to know?" asked the man. "Do you know that crazy dame?"

"Yes, her husband," Ranma said, with steel in his voice.

"Um-"

"Mmmph!" said a familiar voice.

Ranma and the man turn towards the ladies restroom.

"Usagi!" Ranma yelled, as he runs into the bathroom.

BAM!

Ranma could see that his wife was being touched inappropriately by…Usagi? Well, not exactly…

"You," Ranma said.

Evil Usagi, also known as "Queen Lunacy" of Obsidian Tokyo, of the Anti-verse, turns towards the husband of arch-rival. She was dressed in leather and studs, and was using sadomasochistic techniques on her good counterpart.

"Oh, darn," Lunacy said. "Look who just spoiled my fun?"

"Just leave, okay? Otherwise, I might forget that you have my wife's face."

"Humph," Lunacy said, as she fades away. "I'll be back, you know, when you are at least expecting it…"

And, with that, Lunacy was gone.

"I got you," Ranma said, as he removed the bind holding his wife in place.

"Oh, Ranma!" Usagi said, as she glommed onto her husband. "You've saved me…"

"What the hell happened?" Ranma said.

Usagi explained that the bus stop sat on a "shallowing", a place where the dimensional barriers were at their thinnest. Apparently, Lunacy took advantage of this fact in order to drive Usagi insane, allowing Lunacy to take advantage of her weakened state.

"But why would she-?" Ranma said, before he saw the webcam that was situated nearby. "Nevermind…"

"She wanted to humiliate me for defeating her," Usagi said with a sniff. "And now…I'm ruined."

"Not necessarily," Ranma said. "Those magical girl otakus will just think that you're just a cosplayer or something."

"How is that suppose to make me feel any better?"

"I don't know, but…at least it ends here."

In reality, had Ranma arrived earlier, he would have caught his own evil counterpart touching his wife inappropriately, in BOTH forms, who was the disguised ticket clerk before escaping with his demented lover. Still, in spite of the embarrassment, the video would become the most watched adult cosplay film in recent times, bar none. So much for that…

**V "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street"**

_Maple Street, USA: late summer. Here, a tree-lined little world of front porch gliders, barbecues, the laughter of children, and the bell of an ice cream vendor exists. At the sound of the roar and a flash of light, it will be precisely 6:43 PM on Maple Street. This is Maple Street on a late Saturday afternoon. Maple Street, in the last calm and reflective moment...before the monsters came._

Looking down on Maple Street, sitting on top of a nearby hill, aliens watch as the chaos reigned.

"It is fascinating to watch this," said one humanoid alien, as he used his device to cause unexplained situations in the neighborhood. "A switch here, a switch there, and you have humans reverting to their natural state of barbarism."

"Yes, fascinating," said the second alien, both of whom were disguised as humans. "All we did was turn on and off the electricity at certain points in time. We even had remotely activated their pathetic auto-mobiles."

"Yes, we did. And in the end, we do not have to invade this planet. All we have to do is maneuver them to destroy their world themselves. Best of all, this is the same everywhere, for there are other Maple Streets."

"Glad to hear that, boys," Ranma said, as he and his fellow UNIT agents appeared. "And thanks to you, we have evidence on your activities to bring you to the attention of the Shadow Proclamation."

"Oh, dear," said the first alien. The last thing he wanted was to start an interstellar incident that could bring the Judoon to the forefront, hence the secrecy of the mission. And now, it was too late.

"But, I'm sure we can think of something to avoid embarrassing you and your government," Ranma said with a grin.

"What do you have in mind?" asked the second alien.

"Well…"

**W. "A World of Difference"**

_You're looking at a tableau of reality, things of substance, of physical material: a desk, a window, a light. These things exist and have dimension. Now this is Arthur Curtis, age thirty-six, who also is real. He has flesh and blood, muscle and mind. But in just a moment we will see how thin a line separates that which we assume to be real with that manufactured inside of a mind._

"I'm telling you, I'm not crazy!" yelled actor Jerry Raigan. "This isn't my world!"

Ranma was in Hollywood visiting his old friends from the Stuntmen's Association, when an actor began to run around acting crazy. Being who he was, Ranma subdued the actor before it got really out of hand. But now, there was a mystery a foot.

"So, who do you think you are?" Ranma asked.

The man looked around the studio cafeteria, where other studio people—actors, production staff and others—were milling about.

"My name is 'Arthur Curtis'," Jerry said. "I'm an advertisement executive for McMahon and Tate, and I've worked there for twenty years."

"I see," Ranma replied, as he typed on his lap top computer…

CHIRP!

"Take a look at this," Ranma said, as he turns the laptop towards Jerry. "This is the list of people working for McMahon and Tate."

Jerry takes a look at the manifest of employees for the advertisement agency…

"No," Jerry said, as he shook his head. "This is wrong!"

"Well, that's why called in someone who is an expertise in the strange and bizarre-"

Suddenly, a lightning bolt strikes the ground near them.

BA-THOOM!

"HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" Usagi laughed maniacally, as she appeared. She was dressed in her traditional sorceress garb.

"Ulp!" Jerry said with a startled expression.

"Was that even necessary?" Ranma asked, as he brushes off the dust.

"Look, I was in the middle of communing with Medea and the other Verbena mystical masters in that realm where ancient Greece never went away, when you called, Ranma," Usagi said, as she adjusted her garments to show off her cleavage. "And by the way, the Black Furies are going to hunt for a suitable mate again."

"Great," Ranma said sarcastically, thinking that he'll have to deal with female Amazonian werewolves yet again.

"Now, what's up?"

Ranma points Jerry.

"Hmmmm," Usagi said, as she takes out her large magnifying glass, and begins to examine Jerry.

"What?" Jerry asked warily.

"Uh-huh," Usagi said, as she peers closer. "Yep."

"Diagnosis?" Ranma asked.

"He's from another dimension," Usagi said, as she steps back a bit.

"So, he's from a fictional world, then."

"Well, sure," Usagi said.

"But…can I get back to my world?" Jerry asked.

"Well, yeah," Ranma said. "It'll take some time, but I'm sure it won't be long before you will return home."

**Tbc.**


	9. Chapter 9

**TRTSS21: Ranma's Zone of Twilight! – By DS Wynne**

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**Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST, and the other genres belong to their respective owners.**

**Note: This is a multi-genre story.**

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**Part 9**

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**X. "Long Live Walter Jameson"**

_You're looking at a nightmare, not restricted to witching hours or dark, rain swept nights. Professor Walter Jameson, popular beyond words, who talks of the past as if it were the present, who conjures up the dead as if they were alive. In the view of this man, Professor Samuel Kittridge, Walter Jameson has access to knowledge that couldn't come out of a volume of history, but rather from a book on black magic, which is to say that this nightmare begins at noon._

"I'm telling you, Jameson isn't what he appears to be," said Professor Samuel Kittridge, a professor of American history at Empire State University, as he served tea to his old colleague. "He's more like you."

Usagi nods her head, as she accepts the tea. She knew Kittridge from an old Office of Strategic Services (OSS, the precursor of the Central Intelligence Agency) during World War II. It was during that mission that Kittridge learned that Usagi was "special", to say the least…

"Be as it may, there isn't much I can do," Usagi replied between sips. "If he is an immortal, or something close to it, then your daughter can marry him if she chooses."

"Look, at the very least, you should talk to him," Kittridge said. "You can judge him for yourself."

"Fine," Usagi said. "I'll check him out…"

Later, after Jameson's class of Civil War History has been concluded…

Jameson was gathering his books and journals, when he felt the familiar tingle that told him that another True Immortal was on approach.

Hum…

"Hello?" Usagi said, as she taps the door frame that led to Jameson's office. "You're must be Professor Walter Jameson?"

"And you are?" Jameson asked warily. "I have a class to teach."

"Usagi Tsukino," Usagi replied. "Professor Kittridge asked me to…talk to you."

"Damn it," Jameson said. "I told Kittridge that my intentions towards his daughter were honorable."

"Be as it may, Walter is concerned about his daughter's happiness. So, as a favor to him, I'm checking you out."

"If you've come to challenge me-"

"No, I'm not…unless you give me reason to do so. Now, we can have a sit down here, or on holy ground. But we will have a sit-down."

"Fine," Jameson said. "We can have your 'sit down' at the school's chapel tonight, after 10 o'clock."

"Good," Usagi said, as she smiles happily. "I'm looking forward to it."

And, with that, Usagi leaves the office.

Jameson grimaces, as he turns to look at his Civil War saber.

'To think that I'll have to use it tonight," Jameson thought.

"How don't see why I have to be here, Usagi," Ranma said, as he and his wife strolls towards the chapel from the parking lot.

"Hey, I just want to make sure that Jameson doesn't pull off anything," Usagi said. "I didn't like the way he was looking at me-"

Usagi felt the familiar tingle of an approaching True Immortal.

Hum…

"What is it?" Ranma asked, as he sees Usagi frown.

"Jameson-"

Suddenly, Jameson runs out of the darkness while swinging his sword.

SLICE!

"Whoa!" Usagi said, as she performs an impromptu dance, thereby avoiding the strike.

"Hey, buddy!" Ranma said angrily. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Stay out of this!" Jameson yelled, as he circled Usagi. "This is a duel between immortals!"

"Jameson, I just wanted to talk to you," Usagi said, as she spins back into a standing position.

"Perhaps, but you are one of the stronger immortals. If I take your head, then I will get closer to the Prize. I can finally rid of my curse to live a normal life."

Pause.

"I am Walter Jameson, and I formally challenge you."

"…"

"Like I'll let that happen," Ranma said, as he moved to intervene.

"Ranma, don't!" Usagi said.

"But-"

"Jameson issued a formal challenge," Usagi said, as she pulls out the late Connor MacLeod's "Dragon Sword" from pocket space. Usagi made a promise that if she was going to fight for the Prize, whether she wanted to or not, she will use her cousin's sword with pride.

"I am honor-bound to accept it."

"Are you sure?" Ranma asked.

"I am."

"Okay," Ranma said, as he steps away.

Usagi then turns towards Jameson.

"I am Tsukino Usagi, wife of Ranma Saotome, daughter of Ikuko and Kenji Tsukino, and I fight in the name of Connor MacLeod of the clan MacLeod."

With that, Usagi leans back and slides her blade over her shoulder, and points the tip of her blade towards Jameson.

A moment later, Jameson attacked.

"Yah!" Jameson yells, as he strikes using a classic rapier technique.

Usagi squint her eyes just as Jameson struck.

SLICE-CLANG!

Usagi thrusts her sword, which was parried with an efficient manner on Jameson's part.

"Last chance, Professor," Usagi said, as she takes a step back.

"I know," Jameson said, as he charges forward again.

Usagi then steps forth.

SLICE!

SLICE!

CHOP!

As Jameson's head fell to the ground, Usagi relaxed the grip on her sword.

"There can BE only one," Usagi said quietly, just as she was enveloped by Jameson's Quickening, and with that, his knowledge and strength…

Later, Usagi would confirm that Jameson wanted to be mortal, one way or another, and he did what he so that he would never have to see his loved ones grow old and die.

**Y. "People Are Alike All Over"**

_You're looking at a species of flimsy little two-legged animals with extremely small heads whose name is Man. Warren Marcusson, age thirty-five. Samuel A. Conrad, age thirty-one. __They're taking a highway into space, Man unshackling himself and sending his tiny, groping fingers up into the unknown. Their destination is Mars, and in just a moment we'll land there with them._

On this day, Ranma and Usagi were assigned to investigate an old case on the disappearance of two NASA astronauts, who had made their destination to Mars for an on-site survey, and never returned. And so, the pair was chosen to handle the situation personally.

"Well, there's Mars," Ranma said, as he piloted the modified version of Scaled Composite's "SpaceShipTwo" class aerospace plane, the VSS Serenity. "And this is the point where we lost contact with the Mars Probe Mission-"

"Ranma, I'm detecting an unusual anomaly," Usagi replied, as she looked at her sensor scope. "Some sort of tractor beam-"

ZAAARRK!

"You think?" Ranma said, as he tried to compensate for the tractor beam's hold over the Serenity.

"I'm also picking up a strange shift in the space-time continuum," Usagi said. "Ranma, we're entering the umbral realm of Mars."

"Now we know why our probes haven't detected anything until recently," Ranma replied, as the VSS Serenity shunts into a sub-realm of Mars…

SMACK!

Hamon rubbed his jaw, while he looked up at Usagi, who was furious at what happened. He had assumed that Usagi and Ranma were more Earth creatures that he could put up as exhibits. What he did not know was that Usagi was the Moon Princess, his people's ancient liege.

"How dare you abuse a human being in my House's name?" Usagi said, as Tayeena, Hamon's daughter went by her father's side.

Ranma looks around the pavilion, as he held the guards with his rifle (taken from one of the guards). Much of it reminded him of ancient Rome mixed with advanced technology. Shortly after the craft's arrival, they were greeted by Martians from the time of the Silver Millennium, who was shunted into the umbral realm at the fall of the Silver Millennium for self-protection. It was only after Ranma and Usagi were tricked into a zoo cage that they learned the truth about the missing astronauts.

Needless to say, the couple was not amused.

"Usagi, calm down," Ranma said.

"We only wanted to purify our culture, Princess!" Hamon said.

"Really? Does that include being xenophobic bastards? We of the Silver Millennium have always strived towards understanding all cultures, even if we disagreed with them. But to treat Terrans as…animals is not our way!"

Pause.

"And I plan on instituting those changes-"

"Not without my input, you're not," a familiar voice.

All eyes turn towards a pillar of flames that coalesced into a familiar form…

"Rei?" Usagi said.

"In the flesh," Sailor Mars said with a smirk. She had evolved into an entity by linking to the planet Mars itself as an "Exemplar".

"Wow, you look…hot," Ranma said.

"Very funny, Ranma," Rei said, as she goes up to her husband. "Really, must you stay away from me?"

"It's not like going to Mars is the equivalent of going across town, you know," Ranma replied.

"Humph."

Rei then turns her attention towards Hamon.

"You and I will have a new arrangement, Lord Hamon," Rei said, as her eyes flamed.

"I see…"

**Z. "Execution"**

_Commonplace, if somewhat grim, unsocial event known as a necktie party. The guest of dishonor a cowboy named Joe Caswell, just a moment away from a rope, a short dance several feet off the ground, and then the dark eternity of all evil men. Mr. Joe Caswell, who, when the good Lord passed out a conscience, a heart, a feeling for fellow men, must have been out for a beer and missed out. Mr. Joe Caswell, in the last quiet moment of a violent life._

1960 CE: Empire State University, New York.

"Huh," Ranma said, as he looked at the time machine that Professor Manion had created, while agents of SHIELD escorted a man from the laboratory. "Nice model, professor."

"Thanks, I guess," Manion replied. "I'm just glad that you arrived when you did, otherwise…"

"That's why you should have had proper authorization to conduct your experiment in the first place," said Usagi. "If it hadn't been for the fact that SHIELD trace this temporal wake from the year 1880, you could have been seriously injured by Joe Caswell."

"What's his story?" the professor asked.

"Murdered a guy in bar fight over gambling debts," Ranma said. "Your experiment took him just as he was about to be hung."

"How do you know that?"

"Because we were there," Usagi said, as she opened an old photograph, featuring Ranma and Usagi dressed in period clothing, just before the bottom was supposed to fall underneath him.

"You mean-?"

"I was the one who apprehended him, being a bounty hunter and all," Ranma said. "Now, he will face justice again. Hopefully, he won't escape his fate."

"Ranma, they don't execute people in this state anymore," Usagi said.

"Darn."

* * *

_It is said that a man is merely the sum of his experiences. Submitted for your approval is Ranma Saotome. No matter how fantastical his journey, and no matter who accompanies with him while on his journey, Ranma is prepared to face the unknown—that undiscovered country—that is…the Twilight Zone._

**Fin.**

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**Author's Note: That's that. Later!**


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